The future of biomass energy continues to be hotly debated even as new towers are being built throughout the world. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, fewer amounts of pollutants, toxic mercury, carbon dioxide, and acid rain are expelled than one would find with coal, but this energy source has not, as yet, been embraced by consumers.

For those living near towers they will not only find a significant increase in traffic, but in odor as well, if fuel sources get wet. However, efforts are now being made to accommodate everyone and, it's been pointed out, "if used for irrigation purposes or putting it into a municipal water treatment system, it should have no negative environmental impact at all."

Many people agree that as fossil fuel resources continue to decrease, there is an ever-increasing need to find alternative fuel sources and what could be better than products made of biomass? These products are made of various organic materials from wood to grass and even manure. The lower on the pyramid the organic matter is, the higher the energy content so securing natural products before they're processed is important to energy production.

In 2009, the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) held a workshop on the future of this energy source and concluded it would play a very important role, but exactly what that role would be remained unclear. The problem is that this fuel source is not well understood. Additionally, many alternative sources of energy are currently being proposed and the placement of biomass amid these options is, as yet, unclear.

Fortunately, the rate of decline of fossil fuel reserves is such that no immediate urgency is as yet being felt. This lack of necessity has a tendency to result in a leisurely attitude about transitioning to alternative sources. Fortunately, technology has advanced to the point where the cost of setting up and running solar, wind, and biomass alternatives have continued to drop making them more appealing even though the quality of energy produced still has a tendency to be somewhat inferior by comparison.

In response to concerns about climate changes over the past several years, policy interventions have focused on reducing carbon emissions. In return this has prompted a move toward increasing exploration of energy generating options. If this focus continues, it is very likely that energetic efforts will continue to be made to enlighten the masses about the benefits of alternative energy sources.

The renewable energy industry is now receiving support on many fronts for pursuing this line of research and development. Many individual states have now instituted incentive programs funding these efforts. For instance, in California many consumers pay an additional small fee with their bill and some of this money goes directly to biomass manufacturers and developers. Although supplemental funding has its benefits, it also has some draw-backs, as well, such as what to do when the money runs out.

There is no doubt that alternative energy sources must be found, but the incentive to move quickly just isn't there yet. Fortunately, many governmental agencies have the foresight to understand that fossil fuel resources won't last forever and are now taking positive steps toward ensuring that energy will continue to be available at a rate that will meet consumer needs. Undoubtedly the future of biomass energy will be secure in playing a part with providing the world with the power it needs to run on.